Brian or anyone who knows on the 02 outback LS is the strut aligned slightly to the left of the rudder to alow shaft removal. someone on another site mentioned that on some boats they do this if so how far over.

purplepower

04-21-2004, 03:26 PM

Hello MMoody,
I gather you suspect damage around you strut. It seems to be a common concern over the last while.

I am not "in the business" however I have built and rebuilt a few inboards over the years. This has included installing or checking the driveline front to back.

All that being said, shaft /strut alignment is the most critical area on these inboard boats. Even if you plan to do the work yourself, I would suggest a professional opinion at this stage. These boats have alot of grunt. If things go wrong, it gets expensive in a hurry.

Recently, Brian Raymond indicated that removing the shaft be done by lifting the engine first as not to disturb the flange. This was news to me. Hence my hesitation on advising someone how to do major repairs on their $30,000 plus toy.

Brian Raymond

04-22-2004, 12:43 AM

The idea of the offset strut on inboards years ago, was, first, to create more pressure on one side of the rudder, so the driver would not have to compensate the skiers pull from side to side. It is easier to drive a straight line through a slalom course with some pressure on the wheel. If the rudder was directly behind the shaft, the driver would have to compensate on the skiers wake cross(kinda like driving the older big cars like Chevy Caprice in the '70s with power steering, where you moved the wheel easily back and forth to drive a straight line). It was also convenient for shaft removal. Nowdays, with the higher toque and horsepower motors, and the advanced machinery for shafts, which are trued and milled when pressed together, I suggest not splitting the shaft from the coupler, you will see later problems. Brian Raymond